Category Archives: Fall and Rise of Bobby Petrino

“I have no trouble standing up for him because I do believe he’s a solid kid. I think as you move forward in life, you’ve got to learn from your mistakes, and I think sometimes you’ve got to give kids a second chance, and I think he’s earned the right for that chance and what he’s done so far. I never had any issues with him when I was at Georgia from the accountability for meetings or practice or anything like that, but at the same time, you do have to go through a maturity phase as far as understanding the decisions you make, there’s consequences for them. He’s really matured, and I’ve been very proud of that. I’m really excited for him to play this year and get back on the field.”

It’s amazing what great humanitarians these coaches are. Makes you wonder why this guy has such a bug up his ass. Doesn’t he realize it’s always about the kids?

Two great tidbits from this SI.com profile of Bobby Petrino’s program (“they may be dicks, but at least they’re consistent!”). First, ol’ Toddster’s still taking the occasional shot when he can:

Despite all that, Grantham turned down chance to join Jack Del Rio’s staff as the Raiders defensive coordinator, an opportunity he admits “excited and interested” him. Grantham credited Jurich—“the best AD I’ve worked for”—and the Louisville community for convincing him to lay roots in the ACC. [Emphasis added.]

Ah, can you feel the love, Greg?

Then, there’s the Second Chance Kickoff Classic, coming your way this fall.

Two players who Grantham coached at Georgia, corner Shaq Wiggins and safety Josh Harvey-Clemons, are eligible transfers and should add immediate talent to a depleted secondary. The Cards’ defense won’t wait long before it faces a true test: The program opens the 2015 season against Auburn in Atlanta.

Harvey-Clemson and Matthews, together again. What do you figure the over/under will be on the number of times the broadcasters bring up you know what during that broadcast? As long as they mention neither is still in a Georgia uniform, I guess we can take it as a backhanded compliment.

“I think we have a really good understanding of what went wrong, what happened,” Petrino said. “Talking to the attorneys and really knowing that we felt comfortable that, No. 1, there’s absolutely no gun there, and it’s a misdemeanor charge.”

Well, that’s a relief. Petrino has standards.

At least you can say Fields is only getting a second chance. At Alabama, Nick Saban is giving Jonathan Taylor a third one.

“The guy was charged. There’s no question about that,” Saban said. “He was accused. I can’t discuss the circumstances of all that. I’ve said this before: When people are young and they make a mistake — and that is not a mistake that we condone in any way, shape or form, that it’s any disrespect to any person, let alone a female — that there isn’t some occasion to not condemn them for life, but to give them another chance. And it’s up to them to prove that they deserve that chance.”

“Disrespect” – in that Taylor allegedly struck his girlfriend with a closed fist and choked her, that’s one helluva euphemism. The thing with that approach is why stop at three? If Taylor screws up again and disrespects somebody else, why condemn him for life at that point, either?

Nick feels your pain, peeps. To an extent, anyway.

Saban said he understands the “sensitivity” about taking Taylor, who has unspecified behavioral stipulations imposed by Alabama. Taylor’s high school and junior college coaches spoke highly of him, Saban said.

Notice who Saban conveniently doesn’t mention? That’s because you never want to ask a witness a question to which you don’t want to hear the answer.

What I love with both of these situations is the coaches piously insist they can’t discuss the surrounding circumstances. That makes the tap dancing so much easier. Ugh.

Todd Grantham, fresh off a dominating defensive performance in the Belk Bowl an offer to coach defense with the Oakland Raiders, makes more bank.

The Cardinals are reworking Grantham’s four-year deal to pay him as much as $1.4 million annually, Grantham’s agent, Michael Harrison, told ESPN.com. Grantham’s new contract will make him one of the highest paid coordinators in college football.

That’s juuussst a touch more than Georgia’s paying Jeremy Pruitt. A mere coincidence, no doubt.

One thing’s for sure – Todd’s going to work to earn his keep next season.

Louisville had 5 different DB's start last year and all 5 depart including 1st team AA Holliman (14 ints). 99 career DB starts lost.